What is Gospel Music? : Psalm 95 in Review

    Gospel Music is a series of sounds organized in time, employing melody, harmony, tempo, etc. with God as the main subject, inspired by God and to Worship Him [God]. 

Gospel Music ought to have the Gospel in it.

 In this mini-series, we will be looking through Holy Scripture to know

1. What Gospel Music is. 
2. What it (Gospel Music) should contain 
   For one to be able to discern which music is Gospel from that which is not Gospel. 

There are a lot of scriptural verses and chapters which talk about music. Some are: Ephesians 5:19, Psalm 95:1, Hebrews 2:12, Psalm 71:23, Exodus 15:1, Psalm 105:2, Psalm 49:4, Psalm 101:1, Psalm 150:1-5, Colossians 3:16, Psalm 98:1-7, Revelation 14:3-4, Psalm 135:3, Amos 6:5, Psalm 57:7, 2 Chronicles 5:13, Psalm 40:3, etc. 

We will be looking at Psalm 95 – A typical example of Gospel Music.
Psalm 95 serves as the introduction to a group or series of Psalms devoted to the theme of Worship and Praise.

Psalm 95 has been regarded as an invitation to Worship. It has been a vital part of liturgies from ancient times. This Psalm helps the believer to reorient his thinking and practice concerning the vital matter of Worship. It turns our attention and affection toward God. When our role in Worship is addressed, the focus is on obedience and reverence. 

This Psalm is also without a title, both in the Hebrew and Chaldee: but is attributed to David. We know from Apostle Paul in Hebrews 4:6-7 -

6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience,
7 again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” 

We, therefore, attribute this poem or psalm to David. 

The Psalm is a solemn invitation to the people, when assembled for public worship, to praise God from a sense of his great goodness; and to be attentive to the instructions they were about to receive from the reading and expounding of the law; and or these accounts it has been long used in the Christian Church, at the commencement of public service, to prepare the people's minds to worship God in spirit and in truth. 

This Psalm may be divided into 3 parts;
1. The part of the people - From vs 1 to the middle of vs 7
2. The part of the leaders – From the middle of vs 7 to vs 8
3. The part of God – From vs 8 to vs 11. 

Hopefully, we will continue the series in the next posts. We will go ahead and visit the verses systematically.

Soli Deo Gloria..